Apple Planning ‘Home’ App To Control Your Smart Home

Michael Moore joined TechWeek Europe in January 2014 as a trainee before graduating to Reporter later that year. He covers a wide range of topics, including but not limited to mobile devices, wearable tech, the Internet of Things, and financial technology.

Apple is continuing to ramp up preparation for its smart home program with the launch of a new central control app, according to reports.

The company is preparing for the widespread launch of its HomeKit platform with the development of a ‘Home’ app, which will give users control over all the connected devices in their house, according to 9to5Mac.

The app could even form part of the launch of iOS 9, which is rumoured to be announced at Apple’s WWDC event in San Francisco next month.

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The Home app is rumoured to be able to wirelessly discover and set up devices compatible with HomeKit.

It will also use ‘virtual rooms’ to allow users to visually organise connected devices, which will also make it easier to identify similar devices throughout the house. The app will also work with Apple TV, so if users prefer a larger screen they can switch from their device to the television in order to manage their HomeKit devices.

However due to the lack of details around at the moment, it is also possible that the Home app could be part of HomeKit’s initial development, with Apple instead getting customers to control their HomeKit devices solely via Siri and accompanying App Store apps.

Apple spokeswoman Trudy Miller revealed that HomeKit has been available for just a few months, with the company signing up dozens of partners to work on brigning HomeKit accessories to market.

Apple opened up its certification process in November, with the first batch of approved products revealed at CES 2015 back in January.

This includes smart lightbulbs from GE, which were announced last week, and which aim to lessen the effect that artificial lights have on our sleep patterns by giving consumers the ability to automate lighting according to the body’s natural sleep circadian rhythm.